Posted on 12/21/2005 11:36:24 AM PST by Cagey
ALTERNATIVE CELEBRATIONS: Pole for the holidays
Celebrating the holidays with a diverse group of friends can get tricky. That's where Festivus, the "holiday for the rest of us," comes in.
Invented in 1966 by a Reader's Digest editor but made popular through a 1997 "Seinfeld" episode, the fictional celebration has been brought to life by fervent supporters across the country - including Clarkston native Blake Coe.
According to the "Seinfeld" episode, Festivus is celebrated on Dec. 23 and is marked by a tinsel-free aluminum pole, feats of strength - like wrestling - and the airing of grievances, during which followers tell loved ones how they have disappointed them during the year.
Though Coe, 24, also celebrates Christmas, he said Festivus is a welcome break from the holidays.
"With all of the things that now make the Christmas season about political correctness, over-commercialization and greed, it is refreshing that Festivus separates itself from that," said Coe, who has been celebrating the fictional holiday for five years.
Coe recently moved to Chicago, but he'll be home in Clarkston for Festivus. On Saturday, Coe's parents, Sally and Ken, put up the pole. Grandma was there, too.
Coe said he bought the aluminum pole - a centerpiece of Festivus celebrations - a few years ago at Home Depot for $5. However, merchants are now selling them online for almost $40. "I wish we had thought of that at the time," Blake Coe said, laughing.
The term "Festivus" yields more than 20,000 Web sites in monthly Google searches, said Allen Salkin, who tracked the figures for his new book, "Festivus: The Holiday for the Rest of Us," which was released in October by Warner Books.
"Nobody else is writing about it, but it is out there - a very deep and widespread subculture," Salkin said. "I think it has to do with a need for tolerance and a holiday where you don't exclude anybody."
Coe and his friends observe the feats of strength by holding annual billiards and video game tournaments. As for the airing of grievances - "we pretty much go around and talk about each other's less finer moments," said Pat Heber, a Clarkston resident who recently graduated from Michigan State University.
Typically, the feats of strength, or aggression-absorbing activities, are held immediately after the airing of grievances, but there are no hard and fast rules, Salkin said.
That flexibility makes it easy for everyone to celebrate Festivus, he added.
But not everyone will. Elizabeth Zill of Frankenmuth, who is featured in Salkin's book, said one Festivus celebration was enough for her family. A few years ago, Zill strung lights around a metal coat rack and presented it to her teenage daughter as an alternative to the Christmas tree the family never bought.
"Oh, my daughter was ticked at me," Zill said, laughing. "George didn't find it too amusing either," she added, referring to "Seinfeld" character George Costanza (Jason Alexander), who was less than thrilled about his father's idea. "I have a George."
It's that time of year again. Time to get out the Festivus Pole and prepare for the feats of strength. Are you ready for the airing of grievances? Don't let your loved ones off the hook, it's time to pay the piper!
Tune in for two full hours of Festivus frivolity and celebrate the holiday like no other with Jerry, George, Kramer and Elaine.
It's Festivus, for the rest of us!
A Seinfeld Festivus - Thursday, December 22
9/8c - Seinfeld: The Strike
9:30/8:30c - Seinfeld: The Mom & Pop Store
10/9c - Seinfeld: The Hamptons
10:30/9:30c - Seinfeld: The Red Dot
http://www.tbs.com/stories/story/0,,38911,00.html
Oh man!!! Hahahahahahaha
However, you may want to reconsider being humorous, Larry. You rotten pinko.
Merry Christmas, Dave.
The funniest show on TV. Ever. (Imho). LOL.
(1) Seinfeld fans
(2) People who didn't think Seinfeld was funny at all
I'm in group number 1 for sure. So are Cagey and Larry.
I agree that there is nothing more pathetic than people living through old tv shows. I'm so mad, I probably shouldn't drive my orange Dodge Charger home today! Yeehaw!!
I think it's a nice picture ;)
Actually, I hate Seinfeld. Or, is it the Drake I hate?
I forget.
SD
There's the Christmas spirit! :~D
The Drakette better gives us that TV back.
If a pole goes up in my house, I'll expect dancing.
You hate the Sein.
> Please present your solid, rational and logical proofs that Christmas (The celebration of the birth of Jesus) is fictional.
Christ wasn't born in winter.
Since when is "having some fun" a noteworthy event, deserving of a holiday? I prefer to have fun on most every day of the year, no Festivus required.
I think the effect and underlying message is to mock real holidays. It is to say, in effect, that holidays are just made up events anyway, so why not make up our own?
The fact that real holidays commemorate real events and real, honorable people seems to be ignored.
mark for "celebration."
> The God haters arrive right on schedule.
Where?
Oh, that's right. You consider anyone who does not agree with you on every little thing to be a "God hater." You liberals and your incessant childish whining about "hate" when presented with actual diversity make me ill.
Oh, I've cut slices so thin, I couldn't even see them.
"Forced tolerance" - that's what we need.
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